Women psychologists in academe: Mixed progress, unwarranted complacency.

H istorically, academe has been an inhospitable place for women—indeed, one of the reasons psychologists are represented in so many other diverse employment settings is because women with psychology doctorates found the halls of academe closed to them (Russo & O'Connell, 1980). Today, women are more active participants in the academy, and they can join together with the institutions in which they work to help women faculty develop and contribute to their fullest potential. Nonetheless, inequities persist. The waste of intellectual talent and resources that has characterized the discriminatory legacy of academic institutions can no longer be tolerated. Women are half the population; one out of three persons in the United States is a person of color, and within the next 50 years, the figure will rise to more than one out of two persons (U.S. Bureau of the Census, 1992). The challenges of the 21st century are many and have profound implications for the education of all the world's citizenry. At no time has there been a greater need for a cadre of innovative scientists and professionals who can generate and apply new knowledge with wisdom and a global vision. But this need will not be met until the culture of academe is changed and the barriers to the full participation of women and ethnic minorities at all levels of academe are eradicated.